


Feathers like Prayers

by Latiwings



Series: Feathers like Prayers (Winged Magic AU) [1]
Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Childhood to Lovers, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Magic AU, Promare Big Burn 2020, art included, temporary memory loss, winged au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:35:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24513190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Latiwings/pseuds/Latiwings
Summary: A year ago, Galo woke up with no memories. All he knew was this: Governor Kray Foresight had saved his life, and he wasn't about to let this second chance go to waste. With his friends having his back, the future was all that mattered!So why did he keep dreaming about black wings and amethyst eyes?—Dedicated to the Settlement. Without all of you, there would have been no fic. 💕My biggest thanks to my artist:Roadccan, and my beta reader:Aura, for supporting me all the way 💕Playlist and Gallery on the last chapter. ♫
Relationships: Aina Ardebit/Thyma, Gueira/Meis (Promare), Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos
Series: Feathers like Prayers (Winged Magic AU) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1771393
Comments: 26
Kudos: 52
Collections: Promare Big Burn 2020





	1. Prologue

  


> The sun inside of him  
>  could set the kingdom ablaze;  
>  he knows this, he does.
> 
> And he still asks me to love him,  
>  to face the flame.  
>  Find me in the ashes.
> 
> _\- Emily Palermo, “Apollo”_

☀

The forest was on _fire_.

Bright, _teal-pink-blue_ flames covered the treetops, the embers jumping from branch to branch. It was horrifying until one looked closer; the leaves and greens were merely alight, fire dancing on its tips merrily, nothing turning into ashes.

Then from deep within the trees, a light blue mist began to roll out, in tides and in waves. They flooded between the branches, spreading over the floor, licking over bushes. Outwards and onwards, filling up the air, resting on every crevice.

People screamed and ran.

Wherever the mist touched, sparks-fire scorched their skins, pushing them away from the heart of the forest. Their armour did nothing to stop the mist from washing over them—brutal and fierce—fury of an unspoken guardian. In moments, the forest was impenetrable. Mist weaved between the trees like it had always been there.

A barrier no one could enter.

Someone stumbled out, coughing and spluttering, the last person from the chaos. One arm was gone, blood gushing from the stump, dripping wetly on the other man he had dragged along with him.

“Sir, you’re alright!”

“Sir!”

“Sir, your arm! Someone get a medic over here!”

The man crashed to the grass, rolling onto his back. He looked up at his comrades. “Save him,” he croaked, “Got him out just in time.”

“Of course, sir!”

“Is the medic not here yet? We have two people injured over here!”

.

.

.

“Who’s this, sir?”

“Galo Thymos,” Kray Foresight said, “And he’s with me.”

☀

_It was the same dream again._

_It would always begin the same way, with magic as pure as starlight, swirling and whipping around him like it was trying to contain him. Everything beyond was nothing, an odd void he couldn’t see past._

_(“...!”)_

_He was always holding onto something, something warm and something inexplicably precious. He felt it in his bones, in his **soul** , the way he would do anything to keep this thing safe and sound. _

_(“...G—!”)_

_But what was it? What was he holding onto, this very precious thing—_

_(“Galo!”)_

Galo woke up.

His mouth was dry and his throat was tight. He drew in a breath, flinching slightly when the cold night air felt needle-sharp in his lungs. His whole body felt like a violin string pulled too taut, a split second from snapping.

He looked down.

He was clutching his blanket with a death grip, his nails digging into his palms despite the thick fabric. His cheeks were wet, like he had been crying the entire time he was asleep.

Moonlight spilled from his window. It cast shadows in between his fingers.

Galo closed his eyes and those shadows turned to feathers, black as night, a pair of glittering, amethyst eyes laughing at the edge of his dreams.

☀


	2. Eden

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dedicated to the Settlement. Without all you gremlins, I would have never found the support, the courage, the love and life to work on this huge project. Know that every word is dedicated to every bit of love you all have shown me. 
> 
> To the Co-Op server, for being incredibly enthusiastic of my WIPs.  
>  To my friends outside the Settlement, for keeping me excited in the work.  
>  To Road, for supporting me and my antics all the way from the beginning.  
>  To Aura, for beta reading, for leaving the most enthusiastic comments and cheering me on. 
> 
> To Ray, for keeping my passion alive.
> 
> 💕
> 
> And a thank you to the Promare Big Burn Event for giving me this opportunity. To Nezu, who had to put up with some of my weird requests and questions. 
> 
> Onwards!

Galo knew he would be killed if he forgot the doughnuts.

First of all, it was Monday. Specifically, it was _very_ early on Monday, early enough that the sun had barely smiled over the horizon and the air was still cold from the night before. Just the perfect kind of weather for sleeping in.

Well, Galo didn’t mind mornings. He loved waking up with the sun, breathing in the fresh air and watching the dawn sweep over the land.

Aina, glaring at him from her apartment door, didn’t share the same enthusiasm.

“I have doughnuts,” Galo said immediately, preemptively trying to stave her off. Aina wouldn’t really kill him (for sure) because they were the best of friends, but Galo couldn’t help himself swallowing nervously as she took the tupperware from him.

“Oh good morning Galo,” Heris piped up behind Aina. The cup of coffee in her hand had a self-stirring spoon, just a tint of magic. “Aina, let him in.”

“These are great,” Aina said, around a mouthful of doughnut, “I want all of them.”

“You can have all of them,” Heris sighed. Aina would leave one for her anyway.

“You’re going to the station like that?” Galo asked.

“Of course not,” Aina snorted. She was wearing a T-shirt that was too large and sloppy, pants too short to be decent. Once, Heris had been absolutely appalled when Aina dressed like that in front of Galo, but if Galo could go around shirtless in his own apartment when Aina came over, it was only fair she could be just as relaxed. “Give me like, five minutes.”

"Sure." Galo took the cup of coffee Heris offered. It was in a mug with _'What do you call a dog magician? Labracadabrador!'_ scribbled on it. It was his favourite mug. "Thanks."

"I should be thanking you," Heris let out a yawn. She had pretty deep eye bags. Her self-stirring spoon stopped moving every so often. "For picking up Aina for work everyday. I'm glad she doesn't need to walk alone."

"Walking is more fun with two people anyway!" Galo said cheerfully.

"You should be illegal for being so bright on a Monday morning," Heris grumbled.

Somewhere from Aina's room, there was a loud curse before the sound of whipping winds. It sounded like there was a hurricane in her room, which with Aina was a distinct possibility.

“More coffee?” Heris offered.

Galo looked down at his mug. It was still half full. “Nah, I’m good.”

“I’m ready!” Aina huffed, throwing open the door to her room. She walked over to Heris’ side and plucked her sister’s coffee cup from her hands, taking a sip. “This tastes awesome.”

“I asked if you wanted one and you said no. Stop stealing mine.”

“Yeah, of course, I just wanted a sip,” Aina shrugged. “Come on Galo, let’s go.”

“That was under five minutes,” Galo noted. A stray hair poked out of Aina’s hairband at an awkward angle. Galo resisted a strong urge to fix it for her, instead tapping the side of his head. Aina got the message and began tucking the loose hair in, while Galo downed the rest of his coffee in one large gulp. “Thanks for everything, Heris.”

“Sure. Aina, don’t forget your jacket.” Heris held out a piece of clothing similar to Galo’s own attire at the moment. Light purple sparkles danced on its surface, the same coloured sparkles that moved the self-stirring spoon in Heris’ coffee. “News said it was going to be windy this afternoon. The charm should hold on till then.”

The wind never bothered Aina but Heris’ warmth charms always worked like a dream.

“Love you too,” Aina leaned in and kissed her sister on the cheek. “We’ll see you for dinner!”

Heris waved them both goodbye with a smile.

☀

Both of them burst through the door to the main room of the station, Galo just one step behind Aina.

“You cheated!” Galo huffed.

“Nu-uh,” Aina stuck out her tongue, “If I had the wind on my heels I could reach the station and go back home before you could even open this door.”

“Whatever you two had for breakfast I want dibs,” Lucia called out from her corner of the room. Of her many computer screens, four of them were made into one large screen playing a video of a woman opening the oven door and multiple little girls hopping out of it.

Galo and Aina blinked. It was probably better not to ask.

“Do you guys want sunflower seeds?” Lucia continued, like she wasn’t playing the equivalent of a drug trip on her screen. “Vinny got some for me this morning.”

“Vinny?” Aina’s face scrunched up in confusion. “How? _From where_?”

“I love sunflower seeds!” Galo didn’t see the problem, taking the offered jar. They were roasted and still shelled, so he proceeded to crack each of them individually with his teeth. "Can I have the whole jar?"

"Sure," Lucia shrugged. She reached for her coffee, the liquid an incredible shade of black. Looking into the cup, she wrinkled her nose before pointing a finger at the surface. A bolt-like sparkle shot from her fingertips into the liquid, making it shimmer for a moment before Lucia proceeded to drink the entire thing down in one go.

Aina gave her a disapproving look. "That's so unhealthy."

"Don't tell me how to live," Lucia grinned. A type of manic energy lit up in her eyes. "Besides, it's recycling my own magic anyway and I have the right to choose when to consume its energy!"

"Maybe you should just sleep earlier," Galo suggested.

"Do not make me throw coffee on you, Thymos," Lucia threatened.

"But you just drank all of it."

"Then I'll just throw myself!" Lucia hollered, jumping off her seat and launching herself towards him.

Galo let out a very unmanly screech, scrambling aside. Lucia landed on fours and looked up, eyes gleaming like a predator. Aina couldn’t squeeze in a word before Lucia let out a war cry once more, leaping at Galo.

Behind him, the door opened.

It was like time slowed to a crawl. Galo jumped aside, once more executing a successful dodge. Lucia barrelled right past him, slamming straight into—

Remi. Who screamed.

Several things happened altogether.

Lucia gasped, thrown aside when a burst of magic exploded from Remi in self-defence. Several stray shots ricocheted around the main room. One brushed past Aina’s ear, grazing the edge. Another one whacked Galo right in the stomach before he could react.

A few cups dropped off their shelves in the pantry, shattering to pieces. The team’s calendar got knocked right off the wall. One shot hit the computer screen but didn’t destroy it, instead somehow making Lucia’s unsettling video play backwards.

Everyone held their breaths, staring at each other.

Somewhere in the background, the electric kettle went off. Nobody had put it on.

Ignis opened the door, a tablet in his hand. He looked up from it to say something, only to pause and take stock of the situation. Aina was just standing in the middle of the room, eyes wide and mouth opened. Remi was on the floor, glasses thrown clean off his face. Lucia was stuck on the wall, held by teal magic sparkles. Galo was upside down, covered in sunflower seeds.

In the background, the unsettling video continued with its surreal, happy tune, backed by the shrill whistle of the electric kettle.

“I’ll come back in an hour,” Ignis said tiredly, closing the door.

☀

“This was your fault.”

“This was Galo’s fault.”

“Hey!” Galo cried out, “I didn’t want to be maimed!”

Remi looked at Lucia, utterly unamused. He didn’t look angry, just expectant and resigned.

They had taken exactly an hour to clean things up. A new electric kettle was on the 'to buy' list, Remi’s magic having fried it. _July_ and _October_ were lost from the calendar, just vanished or turned to dust.

“This wasn't how I envisioned our Monday morning starting,” Aina groaned. She had to smack Galo away from trying to eat the sunflower seeds scattered on the floor.

_(“But Aina,” Galo had protested, “they’ve been there for less than 5 minutes! What about the 5 minutes rule?”_

_“Galo, no.”)_

“Imagine if we burned this station down by accident,” Lucia cackled.

“Please don’t, I don’t think I can handle the shame,” Remi sighed. With a flick of his hand he put away the broom he was using, teal sparkles shutting the storage closet door. “Magical Incidents Rescue department, burned down by a magical accident. We’d never live it down.”

“Magical Incidents Rescue Team is such a lame name,” Galo complained, “Most of the time a fire happens anyway. We should have a cooler name, like Burning Rescue or something.”

“It’s mostly fire only because things explode,” Lucia grinned, “I love my job.”

The other three people in the room flinched at the same time.

Remi pushed up his glasses. “May I remind you that you nearly made us burn down this building?”

“Nah, that was all you Remi,” Lucia stuck out her tongue, “Who knew you were such a scaredy-cat?”

“Anyone reasonable would have been terrified in that situation!” Remi’s protests were backed by Galo nodding his head furiously in the background.

“Well, there are worse ways to begin a Monday I guess,” Aina sighed.

The siren blared, the loud noise echoing off every corner of the station.

“There it is,” Remi said, deadpanned.

☀

“The report says that it’s a house fire. Passersby think it's breakfast gone wrong.”

Galo hummed, listening to Remi. It seemed standard enough so far; someone left the stove on for too long, panicked and set the house on fire, or tried to use magic and set off various things that contributed to the house fire. There was also always the danger of someone trying to cook with magic but being incredibly sleep-deprived.

Magic was basically energy, Lucia always said. Galo was just interested that he could help.

When they reached the scene, it was obvious why _they_ were called too instead of just firefighters. The fire that burned was in odd, _teal-pink-blue_ colours, signature to magic being mixed in.

Immediately, Captain Ignis started giving out orders.

“Aina, I want some visuals from the top,” their Captain said. He had several tablets with communications opened to all crew members floating around him, mellow grey-ish magic keeping them up. “Lucia, details.”

“Roger!”

“Yes sir~!”

Aina clasped hands with Galo for luck, reached down to push her magic into the side of her shoes, then took a running leap. Wind and sparkles propelled her into the air, giving her the ability to fly for as long as she could keep her energy up.

Lucia waved her hands, more screens popping up around her. Beside her, Vinny let out several hovering drones, each with just a tinge of pink-yellow glow. They surrounded the structure in a rectangle. In front of Lucia, the screens formed a hologram of the house in 3D, magic from the drones cautiously poking in to obtain information.

“Water is safe to use,” she reported, “Fire originated from the kitchen.”

“Good work,” Ignis turned to Remi and Varys. “I want both of you to coordinate with the firefighters.”

“Yes sir.”

“On it.”

“Can I join them too?” Galo piped up but before he could be answered, Lucia gasped.

“Captain!”

“What is it?” Ignis asked.

Lucia used one hand to type and another to direct her magical energy. “Magical signs from the top floor! There’s someone in there!”

 _“Confirmed,”_ Aina’s voice crackled over everyone’s earpiece, her screen popping up in front of everyone. They were getting her view, including a section for X-ray view. _"A child, second floor."_

“That’s yours, Galo,” Ignis looked at him from over the top of his glasses, “Be careful.”

“Definitely. Nothing’s stopping me!” Galo whooped, snatching his Matoi and jacket, “On it, Captain!”

And he ran straight into the magical flames.

“By the gods above he better come back safe or I’ll strangle him myself,” Aina commented.

☀

It was difficult being a rookie in the team.

Having only joined MIR a few months earlier, Galo was still the newest member of their team, which meant he was the last to be assigned any tasks at all. It really sucked because all Galo wanted to do was help people.

There was also one other thing.

He swung his Matoi at some of the flames that licked just a bit too close to his heels. The magical fire let out a mixed splutter-screech, the white glow of magic weaving between the streamers to douse the threat. Another fire tried to nip his back and Galo swung quickly in its direction. It would be difficult to get rid of the sticky flames if they got on him, because—

Galo had no magic.

That was the other thing—Galo didn’t have an ounce of magic in his body.

The kind he was using was a mixture of Lucia’s and Remi’s, embedded in the Matoi so he would stay safe. He was ordered to carry it whenever they had a mission, though Galo didn’t need an order for that. He loved his Matoi to bits, as it was the team’s gift to him.

It made him useful. It made him capable of saving people’s lives.

Galo was thankful enough for that.

He ran up the stairs two at a time. Once he reached the topmost floor, Galo swung the Matoi again, banishing more flames before they could singe him.

 _“Room two to your right, Galo!”_ Aina said, in his ear.

“Thanks!” Galo smacked the bottom of his Matoi on the carpeted floor. The white glow shifted to an orange-yellow hue before he whirled it again, smashing the back end of it into the door. It went down without a fuss, losing to the impressive strength magic embedded in it, many thanks to Varys.

The busting of the door triggered something—a loud, terrified scream, before the telltale flare of wild magic swept through the entire house.

Galo held the Matoi in front of him, white streamers covering him and giving him the protection he needed from the sudden burst. Picture frames and vases in the hallway tumbled to the ground and shattered—carpets going up in flames, then ashes in a few seconds flat. A loud, nearby crashing sound followed and Aina screamed.

“Aina!?”

 _“The room exploded,”_ Lucia informed. Galo could hear the furious typing. _“Roof flung off somewhere in the distance. She’s alright.”_

 _“I am,”_ Aina confirmed, _“It wasn’t anywhere near me. Galo?”_

“The Matoi protected me well,” he could hear a quiet _‘yes!’_ from Lucia. Maybe she tweaked her magic application? Galo would ask her later. “I’m going in.”

“Galo, be careful—”

But Galo wasn’t listening anymore, because there was a girl.

She looked about high school age, her hair a mess and falling haphazardly down around her face. Curled up in the middle of the room, her hands were clutching onto the sides of her arms desperately, shoulders trembling. None of the lively fires touched her, merely dancing about, content to give her space.

Galo stepped forward. In one corner, one of the flames spluttered-hissed at him.

The girl snapped her head up, eyes wide. There was a darkening bruise on her cheek, just below her eye. The blue-black finger markings on her arms were too big for her own hands.

Galo’s heart dropped into his stomach. Something nauseating twisted in his gut—a bitter, low simmer of fury. That meant that this magical outburst wasn’t from a kitchen accident.

 _“Magical Signature confirmed,”_ Lucia murmured, _“It’s from her.”_

It was self-defence.

“Stay away.” Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. “Leave me alone!”

Around her, a shower of pink-purple sparkles spread out. Some of the flames grew bigger. Her bed was flung out of the room, half the wall collapsing. Books had their pages ripped out and fluttered about, some consumed immediately by the flames. A family photo fell off the dresser, crashing to the ground face first, splattering glass shards everywhere.

Galo breathed in, then held out his hand.

“Please,” he said lowly and quietly, despite the urgency of the crackle-hiss of flames around them. “You can’t stay here.”

“You’ll just give me back to him,” she accused, “That’s what they always do. No one else wants me!”

“Then let me deal with him,” Galo’s voice was steel. “You’ll be with me, okay? You won’t go anywhere until he’s gone. I’ll make sure he never comes near you again.”

For a moment, the girl’s eyes widened. Her breath hitched and she looked at Galo like she had finally found a lifeline—

Then the wind blew in from the open roof, from the collapsed walls. It whipped their hair around their faces; threw shards and pieces of ruin across the room.

The family photo—lying face down—dislodged itself from the wreckage of its frame and smacked against the girl’s thigh, fluttering downwards to reveal its pretty, fake moment on its surface.

Galo saw the moment the belief died in the girl’s eyes. He pulled up his Matoi just in time for the girl to scream, hoarse, dry and incredibly _hurt._ Pink-purple sparkles turned to rapid waves, pouring and crashing from her outwards, rolling in unleashed fury. Another wall crumbled. The picture by her feet disintegrated to dust.

And this time, it didn’t stop there.

Right before Galo’s eyes, something ripped out from the girl’s back. There wasn’t any blood nor tearing of skin, but her magic bubbled and unfurled, sharp and wet, tears dripping to the floor in pink-purple despair. Feathers fluttered open, sliding to shape, spluttering to life in a gasp. One wing stretched to the side, another flared open as the girl threw back her shoulder, a crack—not from bone but something inner—snapping into place.

Galo didn’t realize he was holding his breath until his chest began to hurt.

 _“Galo, you’re not equipped for an Ikaros,”_ Ignis commanded. _“Get out of there.”_

“I can’t!” He said, without even thinking too much about it. Under that outburst of energy, pink-purple ripples, the girl had looked up. The tears that left streaks on her cheeks shimmered with power. All Galo could see was pain. “I can’t just leave her!”

Whatever Ignis wanted to say was interrupted by a loud screech from Aina’s end. There was a loud, tumbling noise. Galo didn’t think his heart could drop any lower, but it suddenly felt like it dived straight to hell.

“Aina!”

 _“I-I’m okay!”_ Multiple people sighed in relief at that. _“I’m on a nearby roof! Something shot me out of the sky and —!”_

 _“Incoming!”_ Lucia said sharply, _“Galo, above you!”_

That warning was a second too late. Several arrows suddenly planted themselves in front of Galo, exploding before he could get a good look. The burst of smoke had Galo covering himself with the Matoi’s streamers for protection, coughing loudly.

“Wha—”

One black wing unfurled itself from behind the veil of smoke, feathers a glossy iridescence. The fire reflected among the many metals and chains hanging off the new Ikaros in the scene, _teal-pink-blue_ fires highlighting the lean stature in leather. More smoke cleared, revealing a sword made from magical energy, the edge shimmering sharply in diamond colours.

“You’ll let us go,” the Ikaros said. His voice was soft and commanding. “I’ll be taking her—”

The smoke faded entirely from the scene, then.

The new Ikaros cut himself off, eyes becoming very wide. Galo would question that, but it felt like someone had just thrown a bucket of biting ice water all over him.

_Those eyes._

The new Ikaros’ eyes were glittering amethyst, like the ones in his dreams.

☀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \+ **TW :** One line implying abuse
> 
> \+ Welcome to my magic/winged AU! I hope things aren't confusing so far, I'm trying to keep the chapters moving at a comfortable pace without dumping a whole lot of word building stuff!
> 
> \+ Title of the fic comes from this [poem.](https://rachelsdigitalcanvas.wordpress.com/2015/04/10/rewriting-icarus/)
> 
> \+ Quick notes for special terms :  
>  **Ikaros/Ikarii :** Winged people  
>  **MIR :** Magical Incidents Rescue team (or like, the Burning Rescue of this fic haha)
> 
> \+ A fun detail I’m adding to my next few chapters are cameos/easter eggs from other fics in the Big Burn event! It won’t be obvious and I’ll reveal the cameo in the author notes after, but have fun trying to find them! :D (I won’t be able to cameo all the fics but I’ve got a good amount. Even then, please check them out, everyone worked incredibly hard for this event <3 )
> 
> \+ Inspiration for Aina and Galo’s best friend dynamic came from my own with my guy friend. The best kind of friendships are the ones you let your guard down and just relax. XD
> 
> \+ The video on Lucia’s screen is [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WF34N4gJAKE). It’s incredibly trippy and can be incredibly uncomfortable, so be warned before you clicked on it.
> 
> \+ Magic mixed with fire gives you promare fire colours woo!
> 
> \+ Also! Lio Lio Lio!!!!


	3. In Another Life

_“Who are you?”_

_But he had this dream several times now, over the past week._

_As always, something to his right exploded, cutting off any answer. Galo held up his Matoi, letting the streamers' defensive magic shield him from any damage._

_In front of him, the black-winged Ikaros turned his back to shield himself and the girl, black wings raised in a protective dome._

_Distinct sirens wailed in the distance, loud and ominous. The Ikaros Containment Force was here._

_The black-clad Ikaros spread out his wings, fury written all over his face. He turned to face Galo and that fury warped into something desperate, something pained._

_Beside him, the girl sobbed. Her wings, dripping wet with magic, had begun to solidify to something quite real._

_"I'll find you," the Ikaros told Galo. His eyes gleamed. "I'll find you if that's the last thing I do."_

_And he made a large turn, one wing arching out, feather tips dragging on the floor. Sharp, crackle-pop sparkles burst into life, the teal-pink-blue fire flaring up into a wall._

_When the fire died down—_

☀

Galo opened his eyes.

Despite that happening a week ago, he had the same dream every single night. There were no variations. He never found out who that Ikaros was. The cryptic message at the end remained the same.

Galo almost wished that the Ikaros would find him. Maybe he would finally find out how the Ikaros knew him, then.

Sigh.

Galo kicked his blankets off him. They pooled and twisted around his legs, forming an odd, tangled nest. The times he forgot to untangle his sheets before getting out of bed always led to an unpleasant time with the floor.

In a few minutes, he had the microwave going for a mug of hot milk. He scavenged some unfinished biscuit pack, taking one bite to check if one day beyond the expiry date was still alright.

It was. That was great, some warm milk and biscuits for supper.

His apartment came with a great balcony view and at times like these, Galo seriously appreciated it. Some cool night air was the perfect fit with his milk and biscuits.

"Can't sleep?" A voice from the balcony beside his.

"You too?" Galo easily asked back.

Aina laughed. She was seated on the balcony railing precariously. Galo felt a twinge of worry even though he knew how much the winds favoured her.

"Woke up dreaming I was falling," she shrugged. She was more nervous than she let on, her fingers twisting her pink hair just a bit too rough. "That day, you know?"

Of course they would wake up to the same dream. He felt a little bad; Galo wasn't the only one with conflicting memories of that day. Aina was knocked out of the _sky_. He should have known that would scare his best friend terribly, someone who was so used to being infallible in the air.

"I know what you're thinking. Don't go blaming yourself."

Galo blinked.

Aina shrugged at him. "It wasn't like you could do anything," she huffed, "And it's all part of the job. Nothing bad happened. I'm alright."

"You say that like you're so sure I was thinking it was my fault," Galo grinned.

"Galo, you're many things but a liar ain't one of them," Aina smiled. "But being kind? That's like, 90% of you."

"Why only 90%? What happened to the other 10%?"

"Went to be your dumb energy, that's what." Aina only snickered when Galo squawked indignantly. "Shh, people are still sleeping! Tell me about yours."

"My what?"

"The dream that woke you up." Aina climbed onto her balcony railing, walking on the metal gracefully. Galo could see her bright, pink purple magic giving her the light-footed ability. She perched on the side closest to Galo. “So, spill.”

“...It’s the same dream as yours.”

Aina’s mirth dropped at that. A look of overwhelming compassion took over. “It’s the girl, isn’t it?”

It wasn’t entirely untrue. Galo sipped his milk, watching as Aina turned to face the border of Promepolis. He didn’t need to figure out what she was looking for, his own gaze turning towards it as well.

Just outside the border of the great city, a fairly large forest stood proudly. At least, most people who lived in Promepolis for years would know that there was a forest there, surrounding a large lake in its centre.

It was beautiful.

At least, that’s what Galo had heard about it.

He had never seen it, not before the Barrier appeared. For as long as he could remember, the forest had always been surrounded by tall, dense mist. It was striking in all the shades of bright blue, surrounding the area, weaving within every branch.

It also burned.

People who tried to enter the forest would only return with scorched skin and fearful tales. The forest had turned hostile to the people of Promepolis, with an exception.

Ikarii could go through the Barrier.

“Do you think she made it?” Aina murmured. Her eyes shone, her expression thoughtful.

Galo breathed out. Guilt gnawed at him for being unable to help her that day, that sliver of hope. He had been so close. In another world where he had managed to convince her—saved her—she would have been happy with another family. He would have made sure of it, personally.

_( He glared at the man that had made it out of the house fire safely. Remi had warned him not to do anything that could be labelled as assault, but Remi had also pushed his glasses up his nose while eyeing that man, a dangerous gleam reflecting off the lenses._

_Remi’s tone was dangerous. Galo trusted him to do the worst. )_

Instead, she had emerged from the flames as an Ikaros, power dripping from every part of her body, wild and free.

Instead, that black-winged Ikaros swept her away, flying towards the border, towards the forest where every Ikarii were known to go to escape the ICF.

“I hope she’s alright,” Galo finally said. Nobody truly knew what happened to the Ikarii that went into the forest. He could only hope for the best.

“It’s not your fault,” Aina responded immediately. The look in her eyes told Galo that she knew it would take time for both of them to recover from their experiences. That was just the way it was. “Maybe one day she’ll come to her senses and allow the Foresight Foundation to help her.”

Both of them also knew how unlikely that was. The Ikarii hated the Foresight Foundation.

Galo gave Aina a half-hearted smile. “Hopefully.”

It was never that easy.

Becoming an Ikaros filled a person with an unfathomable amount of magic, enough to get drunk off it. The Foresight Foundation’s motto was to cure them of this affliction before it got worse, but like any addiction, it was harder to quit the longer you had it.

_(“I’ll find you, if that’s the last thing I do.”)_

That black-winged Ikaros...he looked like he had been one for a long, long time.

“...Galo?”

“Hmm?” Galo blinked.

Aina sighed, shrugging. “I asked if tomorrow is visiting day.”

Quick calculations ran inside Galo’s head. Oh, it _was_ visiting day. He had nearly forgotten too. “You wanted to go somewhere?”

“Thought it would be nice for us to grab some ice cream or go bowling, or anything really.” Aina slid down from her perch, landing neatly on her balcony floor. “But if it’s visiting day...maybe come over for dinner instead? We can order pizza.”

Pizza with Aina and Heris sounded absolutely amazing.

“You know you’re my favourite best friend right?” Galo smiled. “I’ll take you up on that!”

“I’ll be ordering my own box this time,” Aina’s face scrunched up, “I cannot believe that I only got to eat like, three slices the last time. It’s so unfair Galo, you hear me?”

“Deal.” Galo counted something quickly. “Do you think I can have one more slice from your box?”

“Uh, no. Heck no,” Aina stuck out her tongue at him. “Deal with it. Now go to sleep or visiting day will feel shitty.”

“As if the sun isn’t going to rise in only an hour or so,” Galo laughed. He took his mug and his mostly empty plate of biscuits. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Aina waved at him once, hopping into her apartment and sliding the door shut.

Galo left his plate and mug unwashed for his morning self later. By now the air had begun to warm, an easy tell of the upcoming dawn. Slipping into his bed, Galo’s mind was calmer than before.

Tomorrow was visiting day. It was only polite to his guest to at least be rested slightly.

☀

When Galo opened the door, Kray Foresight greeted him.

“It’s good to see you’re well,” he said, stepping into Galo’s apartment, taking off his shoes.

“Everything is fine,” Galo smiled bashfully. Kray visited twice a month, so Galo really shouldn’t be feeling this way anymore, but the awe he had for the man who saved his life was hard to get rid of. “How’s work, Gov?”

“The usual,” Kray’s reply was smooth. He held out a box. “It’s peppermint this time.”

“Thank you,” Galo accepted the box graciously. He didn’t need to open it to know what it was. Always a box of tea, a different flavour every time, just a touch of preservation magic personally by the Governor himself. “You don’t have to.”

“Nonsense,” Kray’s smile was pleasant. He took a seat at Galo’s dining table. “Tea is good for you.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Galo knew Kray meant well, just wanted to make sure Galo was alright. Well, Galo wasn’t about to squander his second chance at life away so recklessly. He owed Kray enough for that as it was.

There was already hot water in the electric kettle from when Galo prepared it in the morning. He poured it into two cups with rosemary tea leaves, a gift from the previous visit. He even placed the cup on a coaster, because Galo had learned from that one time Kray had looked disgusted at the lack of proper table manners.

“So there was an Ikaros emergence in your latest case.”

Galo flinched. Kray sounded disappointed and it was true, Galo was kind of a disappointment, wasn’t he? He could have saved the girl, yet he failed. Now she was another number in the cases handled by the Foundation, more resources spent.

Another life in danger.

Kray sipped his tea. “Don’t worry about it Galo, I’m sure you did your best.”

“Yes sir,” Galo replied immediately. “I’ll be better next time.”

And if there was a next time, maybe he would see that Ikaros once more. Black wings with feathers that gleamed, eyes that had looked at him with wonder—

“How’s your arm, Galo?”

Galo bit the bottom of his lip, snapping back to the situation. Was he daydreaming? That was embarrassing. Yet, he hadn’t been able to stop his mind from musing over that Ikaros and his familiar eyes.

The Governor was waiting for his answer.

“It’s alright.” Galo rested his left arm on the table. The white sleeve cover was a gift from Heris, from when he had woken up a year ago. Whatever it was that had taken his memories had given him scars that curled up his arm, angrily weaving up from his wrist, leaving bitter webs on skin.

It didn’t hurt anymore. Like his memories, Galo only wanted to know what happened.

“You’re strangely quiet,” Kray noted. He put down his cup and laced his fingers together. “...did something happen?”

_(“I’ll find you, if that’s the last thing I do.”)_

“Nothing,” Galo forced a laugh. Somehow, something uncomfortable rolled in his stomach at the thought of sharing the existence of that Ikaros with Kray.

The Governor raised an eyebrow, so Galo hastily continued.

“After that case, it’s the usual things! Small park incidents, a student who magically glued his shoes to the ceiling? We even had someone who called in swearing he saw a nest of Ikarii eggs.” Galo frowned at that. “It took us two hours to explain to him that just because they have wings, they don’t lay eggs! Remi looked like he was about to explode.”

“Incredibly uneducated,” Kray agreed. “I’ll talk to the board of education. It would do us no good for the public to have such misunderstandings about the Ikarii. After all, fear breeds hatred.”

Warmth and awe bloomed in Galo’s chest. “You do so much good for them, Gov.”

“When they give up on their wings, they are just like us,” Kray quirked a smile. “As a society, we should help the ones that needed it the most.”

“You’re amazing,” Galo beamed, “The city is in good hands.”

“Thank you.” The moment Kray placed his cup down, his phone vibrated. “...I believe I have something to attend to.”

It wasn’t all that surprising. Kray was a busy man, even if he had managed to consistently carve out visiting Galo in his schedule. This was more than enough. “I’ll show you the door.”

“You have my thanks.” Kray had finished putting on his shoes when he turned back to say, “I’ve just realized, I’ve forgotten to ask if you had gotten any of your memories back?”

Galo shook his head. “No, not even a little.” A small voice inside him whispered images of black wings and purple eyes, flashes of recognition and “ _I’ll find you”_ s. Again, something twisted in Galo’s gut and stopped him from saying it out loud.

Kray let out a soft sigh. “That’s very unfortunate. I wish you the best on the journey to recover them.”

“Thank you,” Galo said, incredibly grateful. Without Kray, he would probably be dead, not even having the _chance_ to recover his memories, “I’ll see you around, Gov.”

Kray left without another word.

☀

His ears were still ringing from dinner.

Galo closed the door, hung his keys and dropped on his couch dramatically. He didn’t bother switching on the lights. He would probably waddle to his bedroom in a minute, he just needed a breather.

Dinner had started alright. The pizza was fantastic and Aina had brought extras, even if Galo hadn’t been allowed to steal from her box.

Then Galo made the mistake of noticing the new book Heris had in her hands.

_( “My crime novel is far more interesting because it has magic and everything!” Aina hissed. Her hair was down and her teeth bared. “Galo, tell her!”_

_“Just because it has magic does not mean it’s interesting,” Heris pushed up her glasses. Slumped back on the couch in a sweatshirt and short pants made her look less like Dr Heris and more like Heris Ardebit, who was not backing down from this argument. “My book has them dealing with a crime without magic, which means it takes smarts. That’s more interesting.”_

_“Galo!”_

_“Galo.”_

_Galo awkwardly chewed on his pizza. “Uhm, both are good?”_

_He got two fewer pizza slices after that. )_

Thankfully it didn’t end up in a magical spar or anything. Heris had just said _“Don’t talk to me or my book ever again!”_ and Aina huffed, pouted and pressed play on the movie that they had been watching. In a few minutes they were both giggling again.

Galo wasn't too surprised by that outcome. The two sisters were closer than anyone he had ever seen. He was just a bit sad that he got fewer pizzas.

The moonlight from his balcony window flickered.

Galo pulled himself up, eyes wide. What was that? Did he imagine that?

Then, the moonlight flickered once more.

“What the heck?” He got up from the couch, heading for the balcony. It wasn’t like he was living on the highest floor but Galo’s apartment was still on one of the higher floors. High enough that there were no trees to make these kinds of shadows, split-second sparks flashing across the walls.

The window doors to his balcony threw themselves open before Galo could reach them.

His breath hitched.

On his balcony was that black-winged Ikaros, staring straight at him. His figure was framed by just the bottom half of the moon, dark wings spread wide open, throwing a long shadow into Galo’s living room. A bright blue feather peeked out beneath his fluttering cravat, pinned neatly just above his heart. His gold hair played well with the moon, a halo of soft light kissing his strands.

His eyes shone bright like the stars, intense purple staring at him.

 _Relief_ , Galo realized. He was looking at Galo with relief in his eyes.

“You—”

“It really was you.”

And suddenly Galo had a handful of the man, arms wrapped tightly around Galo’s waist. The Ikaros had darted in so fast that his hug had knocked the air out of Galo, stray feathers fluttering upwards from the force. They glittered and floated, vanishing as they hit the ground.

“I’ve missed you,” the Ikaros choked out. “I couldn’t believe you were still alive.”

Hesitantly, Galo put his hand on the Ikaros' back, between the wings. Something awful twisted in his chest, a mix of downwards swooping and someone strangling his heart. Somehow, it hurt to realize that—

Galo had no idea who he was.

_(“I’ll find you, if that’s the last thing I do," he had said, with all the finality of a person who knew Galo in another life.)_

It took only a moment before the Ikaros’ grip slackened. He pulled back forcefully, eyes darting up to lock with Galo’s. There were slight tears, and that twisting feeling tightened even harder.

“You—” he breathed out. The Ikaros' eyes searched Galo’s face desperately. “You don’t know me? _You don't know me._ "

"I'm sorry," Galo murmured. He regretted those words the moment he said them; the Ikaros’ face shattered in front of him, a mix of horror and heart searing pain. “I—”

“No.”

The Ikaros stepped back, wings curling in tightly, defensively. He held one hand out to prevent Galo from walking any closer, another hand furiously wiping all traces of tears. “Don’t come near me.”

“But you know me!” Galo had to fight an overwhelming urge to step close, to comfort, “You know me somehow!”

The Ikaros hissed, before letting out a loud screech. His wings flared open, his eyes burned with fury and despite being half a head shorter than Galo, he pulled himself to full height to face Galo head-on. “Of course I know you, Galo Thymos! I've known you since—!”

And he cut himself off suddenly, clasping a hand over his mouth. His eyes darted past Galo’s shoulder, a sweep across the apartment they were in. The pain on his face made way for a kind of realisation, one that wasn’t all too happy.

“Since when?” Galo’s heart hammered. Suddenly, he had a chance to figure out his past. “How long have you known me?”

“I have to go,” The Ikaros stepped backwards. “I can’t—! I just—! _You don’t know me_. That’s enough. That’s over. You’re alive and that’s all that matters.”

He stumbled backwards, heading for the balcony. His wings flapped once, blowing a gust of wind that fluttered every loose paper in the apartment.

It took Galo a split second too long to realise the Ikaros was about to leave and with him, the one chance to know everything.

“Wait, please!”

The Ikaros actually paused, back facing Galo like he couldn’t bear to see him anymore. That was fair; Galo’s heart was still hammering on something sharp and it hurt with every beat.

Silence. It was almost too terrible to break.

“...Can I at least know your name?” Galo whispered.

For a moment it didn’t seem like the Ikaros would answer him. Then Galo heard it, the soft murmur, as fragile as glass.

“Lio.” Wings flared opened once more, feathers sharp. “Lio...Fotia. _Just_ Lio Fotia.”

And then he was gone, the wind carrying him away into the night.

Galo pushed himself to the edge of the balcony with a cry, trying to find purple eyes and black wings, but the only thing that smiled back at him was the full moon.

☀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \+ Promepolis is surrounded by nature instead of a barren wasteland in this fic because without the existence of Promare, the Great World Blaze never happened. :D
> 
> \+ Aina and Galo being best friends is my weakness. 
> 
> \+ Kray was really difficult to write and I hate him for that lmao
> 
> \+ Aina and Heris having split second fights! Then loving each other once more! I love their sisterly relationship, it gives me life.
> 
> \+ Special Terms this chapter :  
>  **ICF :** Ikaros Containment Force (aka. Our ~~lovely~~ Freeze Force)
> 
> \+ Easter Eggs for this chapter! (Please heed their respective tags!) :
> 
> “It took us two hours to explain to him that just because they have wings, they don’t lay eggs! Remi looked like he was about to explode.”
>     A nod to [Fey’s fic](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/PBB2020/works/24387571), which depicts some very intense, heavy beastly smut!
> “My crime novel is far more interesting because it has magic and everything!” Aina hissed.
>     Eager for some crime with magic like Aina? Kit just has the [fic](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/PBB2020/works/24513847) for you!
> “My book has them dealing with a crime without magic, which means it takes smarts. That’s more interesting.”
>     But what about a crime fic post canon with heavy fallout and consequences? [Milka’s fic](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/PBB2020/works/24386728) fits right in!


	4. Eye of the Storm

A few days after, Aina pounced on him from above.

“Alright spill,” she said, from where she was seated on top of Galo’s abdomen. “What’s got you in a funk lately?”

Galo didn’t answer, presumably because he was still trying to get rid of the stars in his eyes after hitting his head a little too hard on the floor. Having someone crash down on him from the catwalk with no warning was bound to be just a _little_ painful.

“Couldn’t you have asked me normally?”

Aina gave him _that_ look. “Like you haven’t been so out of it that you weren’t hearing me.”

“No way, I will always listen to what you have to say Aina,” Galo sat up abruptly. Aina took this in a stride, keeping her body balanced and just sliding lower on his lap, arms crossed.

“Galo, for the last few days I’ve needed to call you several times before you noticed me,” Aina sighed. “Also you’ve tripped over Vinny like, five times. And you nearly forgot to bring your Matoi to Lucia for magical recharge because you wanted to get home early, which was incredibly unlike you.”

Galo opened his mouth to retort, mulled over the points, then promptly shut his mouth again. Fair enough, forgetting his Matoi was pretty unlike him.

“And you’ve been out on the balcony every night now,” Aina’s voice softened, “Galo, this isn’t still about the girl, is it?”

_(“You don’t know me.”)_

Guilt flooded Galo. He hadn’t even thought of that girl much, not after what had happened that night. That was mean. What had gotten into him?

“It’s not…It’s actually...uh...”

Aina looked at him expectantly.

Suddenly, his mouth turned very dry. His heart squeezed uncomfortably. Like with Kray, Galo found himself unable to speak about Lio.

So all he offered Aina was, “I’m not ready to talk about it.”

Aina bit the bottom of her lip, her eyes shining warmly. Just for a second, she looked like she wanted to push but ultimately, she just let out a soft sigh. Her hand reached out to pat Galo’s shoulder. “Well, I’ll be here if you ever need me. You get that, Galo?”

Galo’s heart burst with warmth. “I get it.”

“Good,” Aina slid off his lap. She stood up, dusted off her shorts and held out her hands for Galo. It took her only one pull to get Galo back on his feet. “Also, did you remember your check up tomorrow?”

Galo froze.

Aina gave him a bigger sigh. “You need to invest in a calendar.”

“I do have a calendar.”

“Not very well used, it seems.”

Galo fake pouted at her. They both knew that he did use his calendar; colourful markers circling dates and little scribbles on what was going to happen next. Galo didn’t like _forgetting_.

“C’mon big guy,” Aina smiled, “Let’s go get lunch before Lucia does something disastrous again. Last I checked I think she was trying to slip some sexy smut fiction into Remi’s locker just to film his face.”

“You’re joking,” Galo gasped, “She knows that Remi has pin-up girl posters inside his locker right? He’s not innocent.”

“ _I wanna test how far he could take it, like a good scientist,_ ” Aina mimicked Lucia, while sounding nothing like the other girl. Galo stifled his laughter. “She showed me the bunch of priest stuff she wanted to stuff in.”

“ _No_ ,” Galo said, horrified.

“Yes,” Aina’s face split into a grin, “You know, I would love to see Remi’s face too.”

And as if on cue, Remi shrieked.

☀

Galo walked into Heris’ office with lunch.

“I’m glad you didn’t forget our appointment this time,” Heris said, eyes on her tablet and tapping furiously. She looked up when the door closed. “Oh.”

“Aina said that I’m not the only one who’s forgetful,” Galo grinned, handing over the styrofoam box. It smelled great but Galo already had lunch. “Heris, we appreciate you working hard but please, don’t forget to eat.”

Heris opened the proffered container. Her eyes softened at the sight of macaroni with too much cheese and not enough bacon. It was from that shop just three blocks away from the sisters' apartment and had been operating for as long as Heris remembered. Aina was horrified to find Heris eating those meals five times a week during college days, but they were comforting during stress.

“Thank you,” she said, unravelling the plastic fork and spoon from their tissue wrapping. “May I eat first?”

“Aina will have my head if I said no.” Galo dropped his bag near the door. He glanced over to Heris’ desk where she had a few personal things; a picture of her and Aina, a small figurine of a dog with a pilot’s cap and a framed letter of good luck from when Heris first joined the Foresight Foundation, handwritten by her baby sister.

“The dog’s new,” Galo noted, “Aina’s too?”

Heris chewed and swallowed before answering, politely. “She found it in a dollar store and said that it’s probably the only dog we’ll ever own in our lives, considering our apartment.”

“Good point,” Galo said. Aina loved dogs but she also loved living in high places, adoring the sky like it was a second home. The winds doted on her and in return, Aina relished in the breezes weaved into her magic.

It went without saying that Heris would stay wherever Aina stayed.

“Does it have a name?”

“...It has the name of that dog from that new drama, where a guy moved to a small town from the city,” Heris finally said, after a few seconds.

Galo instantly knew which drama she was talking about.

_(“You two have no taste,” Aina scoffed, grumbling. “This drama is good and I won’t be accepting any criticism.”_

_“It’s too predictable,” Heris murmured. She casually flipped the pages of the recipe book with a flick of sparkles. There was a pot of pasta sauce bubbling happily in front of her. “It’s the same plotline again and again.”_

_Aina harrumphed, turning to Galo. “Well?”_

_“Why can’t he just confess already?” Galo looked confused. “What’s stopping him? Then they can do fun stuff, like go on dates and eat ice cream and—”_

_“That’s not the point of a slow burn drama!” Aina threw her hands up, “I give up!”_

_Behind them, Heris burst into amused giggles.)_

Galo smiled. That had been the first time Aina invited him over for movie night. It was also the first time he began to know Heris as more than just Dr Ardebit.

Heris cleared her throat.

“The other day,” she started, “Aina got knocked out of the sky.” Heris’ eyes were locked on him, her gaze cool and sharp. Even with a bunch of macaroni on a fork in front of her, Heris Ardebit had suddenly gained an incredibly menacing presence.

Galo winced.

_(“Galo,” Heris levelled a look at him, “Promise me you’ll protect her.”)_

Then, the entirety of Heris’ posture softened. She pointed her fork at Galo but it lacked the threat. The awkwardly dangling macaroni helped.

“I’m not blaming you, Galo,” she said, voice kind. “I also heard you were blasted by an Ikaros. Two, if the files I read were right. How are you doing?”

Warmth bloomed inside Galo’s chest. “Minor injuries,” he replied, with what he hoped was a reassuring grin, “Nothing that will keep me down for long.”

Heris scoffed. “That’s the same answer Aina gave, after coming home that day,” she chewed on her food more aggressively than needed. “Did you know how long it took for me to figure out what happened? Overheard it from my colleagues yesterday morning! _Honestly_.”

Galo bit the bottom of his lip. Heris didn’t approve of Aina endangering her life in the Magical Incidents Rescue Team. Aina didn’t say much, most of the time. It was just one of those things that the sisters couldn’t agree on.

“I know there’s no stopping the both of you from continuing this job,” Heris murmured, just loud enough. She started cleaning her lunch, wiping her mouth with a spark of magic, putting away the box. “But please take care. _Both_ of you.”

Galo didn't hesitate in answering. “We try.”

That was the best answer he could give, because Galo couldn’t predict the future. Aina and he would always try because Heris was family. They would never want to hurt her.

“Alright, let’s begin this checkup,” Heris took out a few folders. Galo made himself comfortable on a seat in front of her as she scribbled down the date and time on the top of the paper.

“Okay, the usual first. Your health? How have you been feeling? Any major injuries?”

“Good, good and no I swear, I didn’t get hurt that day,” Galo held his hands up in surrender.

Heris chuckled, amused. “Other injuries than that, I mean.”

“None, I promise.”

“That’s good to hear,” Heris wrote down more things on the paper. Her pen made soft, scratching noises, somehow soothing. Then she placed said pen down, picking up a small magnifying glass.

Instinctively, Galo held out his wrist.

“No hint of magic at all, yet again,” Heris mumbled. She held the magnifying glass over the inner area of Galo’s wrist, where a person would take a pulse check. Once, Heris had explained to him that magical weak points in the body corresponded to a human’s pulse points.

All Galo gathered from that was if Heris ever worked with Lucia, they could probably make a formidable team.

“Hmm, nothing really changed.”

“Yeah,” Galo’s eyes tracked the end of Heris’ pen, swinging up and down as she wrote. It was the same pen as last month, with a small heart-shaped jewel on the top. It was a gift from Aina too.

The papers from the previous months would probably all look the same as well. It wasn’t like his answers have changed at all. He was alright, he was doing okay, yep no magic and his memories have yet to—

_(“I’ve missed you.”)_

Galo froze.

_(“You can’t remember anything?” Heris asked, gently. As always, Galo shook his head.)_

“—lo? Galo?”

Galo snapped to attention. “Yes!”

Heris placed her papers down on the desk. She reached out and held onto his hands, rubbing a thumb over the back in circles. “Did something happen?”

Galo’s tongue felt heavy. Once more, everything in his body rebelled at the thought of telling someone else about Lio’s visit, like a spell keeping him in check. He trusted these people, trusted Heris and Aina with his life but—

_(Lio looked up at him, eyes wide. “You don’t remember me.”)_

“Nothing,” he lied, again.

Heris watched him for a bit. “If you say so,” she murmured, “As long as you’re alright.”

Guilt flooded Galo, shame burning in his veins. She trusted him but he still couldn’t say it, couldn’t say a word about _purple eyes and black wings—_

Outside the window, something exploded.

The entire building shook violently. Galo only had a split second to tackle Heris into a protective hold, his body covering her and sending both of them to the ground. Lights flickered before completely going out. The room would have been incredibly dark if not for the pulled back curtains, shedding inappropriately cheerful sunlight into the office.

Heris looked up, eyes wide.

Another explosion cut off whatever she was about to say. Galo tightened his hold on her.

He could feel nothing dropping on his back, no dubris, no ceiling bits. _Good_ , because Galo felt like he would give up his portion of pizza for the entire year for his Matoi right about now.

Purple sparks flickered in front of his face. It lit up the area between him and Heris, giving them a form of light to make sure they were both alright.

“Are you hurt?” Heris asked. Her voice trembled.

A slight sliver of bitterness squeezed Galo’s heart. _If only he had magic of his own_. He would have a better way to protect people in situations like this, especially his loved ones.

“I’m alright,” Galo brushed the thought away. He would deal with it later, as always. “What about you, Heris?”

“You’re as heavy as Aina said,” Heris gave him a shaky smile. “...I’m okay.” Her tone was light, like she meant to reassure Galo but the tremble was still there. “...C-can we find out what that was? Maybe get out?”

“We definitely should get out,” Galo pulled himself away, standing up easily. He held a hand out for her, pulling the woman to her feet.

Heris stumbled a little, holding on to the edge of her table for footing. The papers were scattered everywhere, spread across the floor like permanent ripples across a pond. “Oh no…”

Galo looked out of the window. There were spiderweb cracks on the glass, edge to edge. From beside him, Heris gasped.

Multi-coloured smoke curled and twisted against the afternoon sky. The low-rise building across them had its windows spitting flames, black clawing the pristine white of its paint. The interlocking F’s that marked the building as part of the Foresight Foundation were blown off, broken pieces on the ground. Fractured walls and blasted ceilings were the only things left of its top.

And the skies were _alive_.

Ikarii filled the heavens, a multitude of colourful wings and bird-like silhouettes, more than Galo had ever seen in one place. They formed a very loose flock, some figures darting into the heart of the smoke and ruins, swooping out with things in their arms.

 _People_ , Galo realized. _They were stealing people_.

His heart twisted uneasily. Somehow he couldn’t bring himself to believe that, even when it was happening right in front of him.

_Is Lio there?_

“Galo?”

“Come on,” Galo turned away from the sight. There were far more important matters, like making sure Heris was safe. “Let’s get out of here.”

☀

An unfortunately familiar siren pierced Galo’s ears as he and Heris stumbled out of the building.

It made sense that the Ikaros Containment Force would be here, with the amount of Ikarii flooding the sky. That didn’t stop an unpleasant feeling from unfurling inside Galo’s guts. He never liked the ICF the first time he heard of them, and those feelings had only grown ever since he joined the Magical Incidents Rescue Team.

_(“Get in!”_

_“Hey!”_

_The ICF Commander turned to face him, an ugly sneer on his face. If he wasn’t sure he would get his teammates in trouble for it, Galo would have punched him, his first day be damned._

_Instead, he gritted his teeth and stood his ground. “You didn’t have to shove her.”_

_“You new, kid?” His nametag said Vulcan. Galo hated him more as the seconds passed. “That’s just how we do things around here, get used to it.”_

_Behind him the newly awakened Ikarii groaned softly, her wings splayed brokenly on the floor of the truck. )_

Another explosion lit up the sky. Galo had Heris in his arms before he even thought about it, eyes darting towards the source.

His stomach dropped.

Black wings.

Among the colourful assortment, a pair of black ones gleamed in the sunlight. His eyes picked out the rest: mint-yellow hair, white ruffles and a blue feather pinned above his heart. With the distance between them it should have been impossible, but Galo swore he could see amethyst eyes.

Lio.

“I’ve got to go.” His mouth felt too dry. Galo turned to Heris. “Stay here, where it’s safe. I need to go.”

“Where?” Heris’ grip on his arm tightened. “Galo, it’s dangerous.”

“I know.” Galo couldn’t tear his eyes away from Lio’s form. Lio, who was diving into the fire and emerging from the smoke. Lio, who held the secrets of his past. Lio, who was _important somehow_. “I’ll be back, I promise.”

Heris hesitated. “...Then take this.”

That got Galo’s attention. Heris looped her lanyard around his neck, tugging it slightly to make sure it wouldn’t come off. Her ID card was an unusual weight. “Heris, why?”

“It has a magic tracker inside,” Heris explained quickly. Her fingers glowed purple. “It’s for clocking into work of course, but I would rather be able to find you after all this.” To trace him down in the case something happened, through Heris’ magical signature. Galo could feel nothing but warmth at the gesture.

“Promise me you’ll stay safe.” Heris’ voice was wobbly, but stern.

“I will!” Galo hugged her tightly, “I’ll be back for dinner.”

Then he whipped around and made a run for it.

☀

When Galo rounded the corner, the building exploded.

Smoke burst outwards angrily, covering the surroundings in dust and ashes. The sky lit up orange for a few seconds, magical fire and bricks raining down like small meteorites. Galo barely managed to take cover in an adjacent, still-standing building so he wouldn’t get pummeled by blazing rocks.

He cursed softly, under his breath. The lack of magic was really starting to sting.

Galo had to wait for the smoke to clear out. He was way more vulnerable without his Matoi, without his team’s magic to protect him. A dead man couldn’t ask Lio for answers.

Instead, he focused on the sounds. Orders were being yelled out, and Galo would recognize that voice in his nightmares. Of course, Commander Vulcan would be here. _Of course._

More curses and shouting. Then low, whirling sounds started up, followed by sharp, piercing shots.

The smoke cleared.

Ikarii were _falling_.

Crystalline bullets pierced through wings, ice stabbing into bodies like knives. They didn’t bleed but they did fall, like people who had flown too close to the sun.

For a moment, Galo couldn’t breathe.

Ice guns.

Freezing, bitter, and laced with the worst of restraining magics. The ICF was given the very best equipment to restrain Ikarii, but they always seemed to resort to the worst.

_( And as if it wasn’t already horrible, the ICF Commander turned around, grin still on his face. He held out what looked like a gun, and shot._

_A sickening **crack!** rang through the air, ice spearing through skin._

_The woman screamed, eyes thrown open wide in fear. Her wings broke to a thousand pieces, feathers scattered and tried to reform, but the intense cold and in-built spell shattered her focus, her magic unable to gather._

_“Eh, they’ll get her out of it,” Commander Vulcan said.)_

“Retreat!”

Galo whipped his head towards the painfully familiar voice.

Among the now-retreating Ikarii, against the smoky skies and blinding sun, was Lio. Black wings flapping in strong strokes, the metals on his outfit glinting with sparks. The bright blue feather on his chest had its tip lit with _teal-pink-blue_ fire, matching the burning in his eyes.

Lio raised the sword in his hand, making a massive downward swing.

“Argh!”

Magical fire erupted from the ground, blazes gnashing at the ICF soldiers, solid black spikes spearing through guns. Galo’s reflexes kicked in, leaping backwards to avoid the flames.

When he looked up, Lio was gone.

Around him were countless screams and yells. Lio had single-handedly rendered a majority of the ICF’s weapons useless, buying time for the rest of the Ikarii to flee. While the ICF struggled to regain their footing, Galo took the opportunity to search the skies for the one person he wanted to see the most.

Fluttering wings and loud, bird-like calls. The Ikarii were leaving in flocks. Some of them were carrying their wounded comrades.

Where they were going was obvious: the forest just outside Promepolis. This might be Galo’s last chance to see Lio again, eyes seeking desperately for black wings—

“Fire with whatever you have!”

Multiple gunshots rang through the air. The Ikarii at the back of the groups turned and defended the flock, each wielding different weapons. Briefly, Galo noted two feathers, black and blue, pinned on them in various places: on necklaces, bracelets, belts—

“Eeeeeek!”

Time slowed for the moment a stray shot slipped the defences, ice bursting and encasing wings. A woman shrieked, plummeting out of the sky.

_( The woman died on the floor, a mixture of dripping magic and melted ice.)_

Galo didn’t think, his body moving faster than his mind, jumping to catch the fallen Ikaros. He caught her and tucked her in his arms, falling to the ground on his back.

She was so small. She reminded him of Heris, of Aina, of Lucia.

_(Galo felt the world pulled from underneath him. He had to do better next time.)_

“Hey,” he mumbled. She looked up at him with wide, blue-green eyes. Her dark pink feathers stuck up in awkward angles. “Are you alright?”

“Bastard, let her go!”

Someone tackled him hard, throwing Galo off the woman. There was a snarl. Galo closed his eyes and threw up his hands to shield his face, preparing to counter—

“Galo!?”

But he wasn’t prepared for that.

Galo’s eyes slid open. The man who had tackled him, with dark red hair and matching wings, took a step back like Galo was the one who landed a blow. Disbelief was written all over his face, eyes wide like he had seen a ghost.

“You know me?” Galo asked, heart jumping to his throat. Another person! “You know me!”

“I—”

Another Ikaros landed by the red-haired man’s side. His wings were a stunning, velvet blue, just a tint lighter than his long hair. “Gueira, what—”

“Dude, it’s Galo!” Gueira choked, face still as white as a sheet. “This ain’t possible Meis, look at him—”

“What’s going on here!?”

 _Black wings and purple eyes_. Lio landed next to them, feathers flared out, magic dancing at wingtips. He stood up, tugged on his half-gloves once. Somewhere in the background, there was the sound of a new explosion and fresh screams.

“Boss,” Meis’ voice was quiet, clear. It had a near unnoticeable tremble. “He’s—”

“Galo Thymos,” Lio’s eyes were sharp. His expression looked like stone—unreadable, cold. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“I was looking for you,” Galo blurted out. His eyes darted to Gueira and Meis, both watching him warily. “And those two, they know who I am too? What’s going on?”

Lio pursed his lips, eyes flashing. “I told you, it doesn’t matter. Don’t push it.” Behind him, Gueira looked like he wanted to say something but Meis held on to his arm, shaking his head. They both froze when Lio turned to them. “Get to the forest, now.”

Guiera shook off Meis’ hand. “But he—!”

“He stays here,” Lio spat. “Now go!”

Gueira looked like he wanted to protest again, looked at Galo, eyes flaring up before Meis latched on to his arm again. Frustration took over his face and he turned on his heels, stomping over to the woman and carefully picking her up in a bridal carry.

Meis eyed Lio. “...We’ll see you soon.”

Lio nodded.

The two of them spread open their wings, Gueira more hesitant than Meis. With several strong, downward strokes, they took to the skies, leaving Galo alone with Lio.

Lio waited for a heartbeat, before—

“What were you thinking!?”

Galo coughed, Lio’s hand tightening around the front of his shirt. His face was suddenly very close, purple eyes blazing with fury. “What the hell are you doing here? _Why_ are you here? No wait—” Lio pinched the bridge of his nose, “Just get out of here. I told you to never find me again.”

“And what makes you think I would listen to that!?” Galo reached out and took hold of Lio’s shirt too, to make things even. “Look, _you know me_. I need to know why.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t,” Lio hissed. “For once in your life, Thymos, would you just let this go—”

They both heard it at the same time: a yell and the whirring sound of an ice gun revving up.

Lio pushed Galo away the same time Galo let his shirt go, the Ikaros spinning around with a loud snarl and firing several feathers like arrows. Feathers met ice bullets midair and for a split second, nothing happened, then—

Galo could feel himself getting thrown backwards by the force of the explosion. A body collided with him and he grabbed without thinking, tightening his hold. Sharp rocks and debris dug into his skin, leaving jolts of pain.

All around them were grey, slightly sparkling puffs of smoke. Galo coughed, his throat burning. He tried pushing himself up, feeling a warm weight rolling from on top of him and hitting the floor with a thud.

Lio.

Lio, eyes closed and knocked out. Galo reached for the back of his head to hold him up, only to feel his heart drop.

Wet scarlet smeared his fingers, too bright and too red. As the smoke cleared Galo could see that one black wing didn’t look right, feathers all about just _gone_ , the limb hanging at an awkward angle.

Oh gods. _Oh gods, Lio_.

From afar, someone yelled. “Where are they?”

They couldn't stay here.

Galo bit his bottom lip, hoisted Lio up in his arms, and ran.

☀

_Lio pushed aside crystal green leaves._

_The sunlight was a bit too warm, the rays too pretty to be true. The flowers were all blooming perfectly, each a different colour. The lake was shimmering in all shades of blue._

_Nothing about this was real, and Lio knew that._

_Someone pushed past him and it was himself—younger, black wings bouncing on his back. He had a smile on his face. Laughter erupted from him in the form of chortles and giggles._

_“You’re being slow!” Dream Lio mock pouted, sticking out a tongue. “Get your ass here right now!”_

_“Or what? You’re gonna throw me into the lake?”_

_Lio sucked in a breath, trying to push down the sudden hurt. He knew who it was. He could recognize that voice in a million lifetimes._

_Galo Thymos ran past him, eyes sparkling like a lost dream._

☀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \+ Heris being older big sister to Aina and Galo is <3
> 
> \+ Ice guns are back! How I envision them working in this AU is basically the intense cold locking down movement, also shattering the focus needed to form magics. It’s incredibly cruel because it’s not unknown for weaker Ikarii to die from hypothermia :<
> 
> \+ Is that Thyma? ;)
> 
> \+ Gueira and Meis! Gueira and Meis!!!!! XD
> 
> \+ / casually hands painful Lio POV dream :>>>
> 
> \+ Easter eggs for this fic (Please heed their respective tags!) : 
> 
> “...Last I checked I think she was trying to slip some sexy smut fiction into Remi’s locker just to film his face.”
>     I don’t have any sexy priest content to shove inside Remi’s locker like Lucia, but Grimm surely does! Please check their story out! <3 [Note : As of my own posting, they're work aren't up yet. I'll link it here when it is!]
> “...It has the name of that dog from that new drama, where a guy moved to a small town from the city.”
>     Join [Tia’s fic](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/PBB2020/works/24365095) for Aina’s taste in small town, slow burn romance <3


	5. Duet

Galo woke up with his back feeling like hell.

When he straightened himself, his joints made wince-worthy popping noises. Galo blinked, trying to clear the sleep from his eyes. Somehow, he was on the floor, at the edge of his bed. His arms had bright, red marks where his head had rested on them.

Oh, and there was a stranger on his bed.

.

.

.

_There was a stranger on his bed._

At once, everything came back to him.

Explosions. The ICF. Lio.

Yesterday came back in quick bits and pieces. There was scrambling for his keys, kicking his door open a little too hard. Bandages, _lots of bandages,_ were taken out and hastily ripped open. Red seeping into white cloth, dipped into a pail of quickly-turning-murky water.

Galo barely remembered loosening Lio's shirt, taking off his boots, his jacket, most of his belts. A quick check for any more injuries—they were lucky though, thankfully—before tucking him in, then Galo was slumping down, exhaustion muddling his mind and aching deep within his bones.

A split second later, nothing.

And here he was, sun laughing at him from between the curtains, waking up with the worst back pain he’d had in ages. To top it off, the body on the bed began to stir.

Galo froze, his throat suddenly too dry to speak.

Lio’s eyes slid open slowly, blinking once, twice. Then he looked _very_ confused, before turning his head to look at Galo.

“Wha—” Lio pushed himself up only to hiss, one hand reaching for his head.

“Yeah don’t do that—” Galo was also an idiot for doing the same thing, hissing when his legs and back instantly protested at the sudden movement.

Both of them groaned, regretting their actions for a short minute.

“...Alright,” Lio started, slowly. “Where am I? What happened?”

“My apartment,” Galo stood up with all the speed and grace of a newborn kitten. He promptly sat back on the edge of the bed. One of his legs was fiercely angry at him for his sleeping decision. “…You don’t remember the explosion?”

A myriad of expressions crossed Lio’s face. Confusion, slowly giving way to realisation. Something like disappointment in the furrow of his eyebrows but Galo couldn’t tell if it was directed to him, or for himself. Then, a kind of despair.

“I shouldn’t be here,” Lio mumbled quietly.

“Well,” Galo breathed in. He didn’t even realise he had held his breath while watching Lio. “I wasn’t about to leave you there to die.”

“You wouldn’t have,” Lio said, with absolute certainty.

There it was, again. It was in the way Lio spoke to him, the way Lio treated him.

_Lio knew him._

Galo leaned in, intrigued. “I don’t get it,” he said, “You know me, but you won’t tell me. Was it something I did?”

Like the first time they met, Lio’s eyes searched Galo’s face with a kind of hungry desperation.

Like the first time they met, he couldn’t find what he was looking for.

“…You wouldn’t understand,” Lio murmured, “Trust me, it’s better this way.”

Galo opened his mouth to protest, then instantly closed it.

There was a glimmer of tears at the corners of Lio's eyes. His hair was a mess, some areas sticking out from where Galo wrapped the bandages around his head. His wings lifted themselves from beneath the blanket, curling around himself defensively. One of them barely had any feathers, haphazardly wrapped in all the bandages available in Galo’s apartment.

Lio, who swept the battlefield yesterday like the fury of a storm.

Lio, who curled in quietly, hurt and vulnerable.

“I’ll make breakfast,” Galo said, instead.

Lio blinked, glancing up in surprise.

“Look, we’re both hungry and definitely need a bath,” Galo pushed on, “And you’re injured. You can’t leave until you’re healed, or you’ll be an easy target for the ICF.” Hell would freeze over first if Galo ever allowed another Ikaros into the hands of the ICF. “I can make some mean pancakes. People have fought over them before, I’ll have you know.”

Now it was Lio’s turn with his mouth open. “But—”

“If your only excuse for not staying is that you don’t want to tell me about my past, well, I’m not asking,” Galo grinned when Lio’s mouth clicked shut. _Bingo_. “Bet I can make you spill sooner or later anyway.”

"Hang on—"

"I bet you'll spill on the first bite. It's that good."

“Galo!” Lio looked exasperated. His wings unfurled, feathers fluttering with equal indignance. It was a better look on him. “You’re so insufferable sometimes, you know that?”

“So you say,” Galo quipped in a singsong voice, “How am I supposed to know? I don’t know who you are, remember? Unless you’re telling?”

Lio threw a pillow at him. It hit Galo right in the face.

“Rude!” Galo knew it was childish but he stuck out his tongue anyway. Lio burst into chuckles, hands coming up to cover his mouth in mortification, barely able to keep back another snort. It made Galo’s heart soar.

“Alright,” He jumped off the bed, enthusiastic, “Pancake time, let’s go!” Without thinking, he held out a hand, realising only a moment later that Lio might not—

Lio took Galo’s hand, carefully sliding out of bed.

_Oh._

Lio hugged him before—well, tackled, more like. And he carried Lio here yesterday! The point was that it wasn’t the first time they had physical contact, yet—

Galo savoured the feeling. Lio’s hand was so warm, so delicate, even when he could feel scars. The tips of Lio’s fingers were just a little rough. These hands directed magic like it was nothing, sweeping through the battlefield with a sword—

Lio cleared his throat.

“Right,” Galo hastily dropped Lio’s hand like it burned him. “Breakfast.”

“Breakfast indeed,” Lio was stubbornly not looking at him, instead looking all over his room, like everything else was more interesting than Galo. “Do I have to wait for you to take out the recipe book as well? Learn how to make the pancakes, perhaps?”

“You’re so mean,” Galo pouted, turning up his puppy eyes. Aina always said it worked too well. “Are you like that to everyone, or is it just me?”

Lio turned to face him. His eyes softened. His smile became unmistakably fond. “Just you.”

It hit Galo like a lightning strike—suddenly, unexpectedly. Something seized itself around his heart, squeezing it painfully tight. His mouth became dry, his throat tight. Words he didn’t know _why_ he wanted to say formed at the tip of his tongue, fading away before he could grasp at them.

Lio’s expression made Galo feel like crying and laughing all at once, at something he once knew but now didn't.

Galo clutched the shirt over his heart. There was no hint, no shred of memory, no flashbacks or revelations of sorts but suddenly, _suddenly_ , Galo really, _really_ wanted to know everything, all of his past, all of his memories—

All of Lio.

“Galo?”

“Pancakes,” he managed to choke out. Lio was giving him a very worried look, the fondness from before fading like a daydream. Galo pushed the ache away and put on the widest smile he could manage. “Let’s go.”

☀

Lio was exploring his apartment.

Galo mixed the batter with a whisk, watching the other man in amusement. In the daylight, Lio looked less ethereal than the first night he had landed on Galo’s balcony, instead looking kind of like a baby chick, wings folded neatly on his back and inspecting everything with bright-eyed curiosity.

Galo stopped whisking for a bit to process the latter part of that thought. Yep, not gonna say that out loud. Lio knew how to wield a sword. Galo was highly not interested in being at the end of it. Well, maybe _just a bit_ interested—

Lio tapped on the balcony window once, startling Galo from his thoughts.

“Lio.”

“I know,” Lio pulled away from the balcony. He shouldn’t stand there for long, someone might see him and call the ICF. Yet, Galo could see the way his one wing—the one still with a healthy amount of feathers—twitched at the thought of the open sky.

“I’m sorry,” Galo said, regretfully. Lio came over to his side and gave him a questioning look. “I love the balcony too. The view always makes me feel great! It’s probably my favourite place in this apartment, even more than my bedroom. It sucks I can’t share it with you.”

Aina hated staying indoors for long when the sky was available. It must be similarly heartbreaking for an Ikaros like Lio.

"It's fine," Lio shrugged. The movement jostled his wings, one of them with too many bandages and too little feathers.

Galo swallowed, instantly feeling worse. He did this. Lio got hurt protecting him.

"Hey," Lio said, like he could read Galo's thoughts.

Galo was going to make it up to him, give him everything. Determinedly, he put the bowl of batter down and reached for the cabinets. “Chocolate, strawberry or caramel?"

“I don’t know?” Lio blinked, “Maybe chocolate?”

Galo took the chocolate syrup bottle, thought about it, then took out everything else as well.

"You can have it all," Galo said, placing all the bottles in front of Lio.

"This is a lot of syrup," Lio picked a bottle up from the table. It was the caramel. He squeezed a little on his finger, licking it. Something lit up in his eyes. "Oh, this is _good_."

"You can have the whole bottle," Galo insisted.

Lio eyed him. Then, he placed a hand on Galo's arm. "It's not your fault."

“Do you want tea to go with the pancakes?” Galo pushed on, because Lio was wrong. It _was_ his fault. “I have some packets. They’re pretty good quality.”

“Galo.”

“I have peppermint and rosemary teas,” Galo held up two, elegantly decorated boxes. “They are both from Gov, so you’ll like them. They’re pretty good.”

The hand on Galo’s arm froze. Lio stared at Galo, eyes wide. “…Come again?”

“Peppermint and rosemary teas?” Galo repeated, bewildered. That wasn’t the reaction he was expecting from Lio, but it was a reaction so he pushed on. “Gov gave them to me because he says they are good for memory stuff. I try to have a cup every morning. We can have other drinks if you like, I don’t mind.”

“Gov,” Lio said slowly, like he was tasting the word. His eyebrows furrowed. “Governor? Kray Foresight?”

Galo nodded. “Last time I checked, he was still Promepolis’ Governor.”

“Galo,” Lio was suddenly in his personal space. His purple eyes gleamed, _beautiful_ , even with the urgency in it. “How often do you talk to Kray Foresight?”

Lio was close enough that Galo could sneeze and they would probably end up on top of each other. That was a very appealing thought. Galo pushed it away with vengeance, focusing to answer the question. “Uh, twice a month? The Governor is a very busy man—”

“Twice a month?” Lio pulled back, looking horrified. Galo was equally horrified— _at himself_ —for immediately missing the warmth. “You meet him twice a month? Every month?”

“Yeah? He checks up on me. Gov did save my life, plus he got me this sweet place—”

“This apartment was given to you by Kray Foresight!?” Lio’s voice had taken a turn for slightly hysterical.

Galo threw both of his hands up. “It’s a good apartment.”

“Oh my feathers,” Lio held out a hand, palm up. Time out. Galo closed his mouth. “Oh my god. Okay. Alright. Foresight is still involved in this. _Of course_. I should have expected.”

“Lio?”

“Change of plans,” Lio pointed the bottle of caramel syrup at him. His eyes were fiercely determined. “We’re getting your memories back.”

☀

After breakfast, Lio sat down and wrote a letter.

“It’s for my generals,” he explained. His handwriting was neat and precise. “If I’m going to stay here, I should let them know or they’ll get worried.”

“Your generals?” Galo blinked. Between them, two mugs of peppermint mixed with rosemary tea sat merrily. They couldn’t decide between both.

“You’ve met,” Lio paused in his writing. He looked at Galo carefully, as if gauging his reaction. “Gueira and Meis, remember them?”

_(“Gueira, what—”_

_“Dude, it’s Galo! This ain’t possible Meis, look at him—”)_

Galo perked up in recognition. Dark red-haired man with an equally dark red pair of wings. His partner, the one with long hair and wings of stunning, velvet blue. "Yeah, the ones who recognised me!"

For a split second, Lio looked disappointed that Galo didn't say anything else, then his eyes lit up with burning determination.

“You’re going to remember more than that, when I’m done with you,” Lio said, like a promise.

Galo downed his cup of tea. Maybe the peppermint would stop his face from feeling so warm.

Lio let out a soft, quiet laugh, going back to his letter. He wrote about a paragraph more, eyebrows furrowed in concentration, before finally laying the pen on the table. Then he shifted himself, bringing one wing forward.

Galo watched in fascination as Lio plucked a black, shimmering feather from his wing, placing it at the bottom of the letter. It disappeared into the paper, a glimmer of _teal-pink-blue_ brushing over the surface. The feather had melted in like it was drawn with the darkest ink.

“Oh,” Galo leaned in. Curiously, he pressed a finger over the now-drawn feather.

"Nothing would convince them more than my magical signature."

There was another feather between Lio's fingers, as dark as the shadows beneath the setting sun. The tip had started fading into nothing, vanishing like magic without intent.

Oh.

"Your wings are _made_ of magic," Galo said, in wonder. It somehow made sense. Every feather, every arc of their wings...they weren't extra limbs that appeared because an Ikaros became powerful. They _were_ the manifestation of that power.

The corner of Lio’s lips quirked up in a smile. His eyes—amethyst with fire, _beautiful_ —looked at Galo fondly. Quietly, he placed his hand on top of Galo's uncovered, scarred arm. Light, _teal-pink-blue_ sparks flickered to life, playfully skipping to the rhythm of a heartbeat, waiting for a partner in dance—

“I don’t have magic,” Galo blurted out.

The sparks vanished. Lio blinked, then stared at him with wide eyes.

A familiar bitterness stirred in his gut. Galo stomped on the feeling immediately. It was okay. _It was okay._

“I don’t have magic,” he repeated, smiling to reassure Lio. Too wide maybe, because Lio didn't look convinced. Galo toned it down a notch, and tried smiling again. “Probably from the same accident that took away my memory but that's fine! I’m lucky to be alive.”

It wasn’t the rarest thing, magicless people. Some were born without, or people who lost their magic through accidents, or a myriad of other reasons. They needed a little more help but that was okay. That was why his team had his back.

~~( _If only he had magic of his own—)_~~

"You had it," Lio breathed out.

“Yeah, not anymore," Galo remembered Heris confirming it for him, said it with a sympathetic smile. Galo just smiled back and carried on. It worked well so far. “I’m sorry. I can make it up to you, I promise.”

_("A magicless person like you," Kray had said, with a kind smile, "Would have a difficult time. You understand, don't you, Galo?")_

In front of him, Lio had become rather still.

Galo’s smile faltered. "Lio—"

It happened so quickly, the chair crashing to the floor, the clatter of the pen hitting the ground. The table screeched, sliding slightly across the floor from the sudden, added weight. Lio was on the table with his hands cupping Galo’s face. His wings flared out behind him, one vibrant with feathers that glimmered, another painfully stark.

“You were—no, you _are_ my best friend,” Lio whispered fiercely. Galo could see himself reflected in Lio’s eyes. “You’re still Galo Thymos, magic or no magic.”

Galo breathed in. His hands reached upwards, lacing his fingers behind Lio’s back, just beneath where the wings met his shoulder blades. Gently, he tugged Lio down into a hug.

Lio’s body fit against his perfectly. The way he slid down from the table onto Galo’s lap, the way he wrapped his hands around Galo's body to return the embrace, the way he managed to tuck his head on Galo’s shoulder. Galo tightened his hold, feeling the warmth of Lio’s body seep into his soul.

_(He was always holding onto something, something warm and something inexplicably precious)_

Maybe it was forever, the way they stayed in each other’s hold. Galo didn’t want to let go, and Lio showed no signs of wanting to leave either. Instead, Lio shifted himself slightly, burying his face into Galo’s neck. His wings curved forward, as if trying to keep the two of them in the hug.

Loose bandages from Lio's injured wing fluttered by Galo's cheek.

Galo sat up suddenly. "I need to redress your injuries!"

Lio scowled. He had a hand on Galo's shoulder and one leg haphazardly hooked on Galo's waist. His wings were wide open for balance. He barely managed to hold on from being outright thrown off Galo's lap. "You couldn't have realized that a little more gently?"

"Ah," Galo sheepishly lifted a leg, nudging Lio back from his off-kilter position, "Sorry."

"You better be," Lio snapped his wings shut. "Also, no need for bandages."

"Eh?"

Lio's eyes gleamed. "I have a better idea."

☀

Galo rubbed his hair with a towel, sitting at the edge of his bed.

Taking a shower had been amazing. The cool water had felt great on his back, washing away the dirt and exhaustion. It felt like a heavy weight had been lifted off his shoulders, a fresh sheen over his skin. It was almost enough to forget the many things that happened between waking up and having breakfast.

One damp strand poked his eye and he pushed it away, grimacing slightly. One day, he would invest in a hairdryer. _Maybe_. Galo preferred the feeling of his hands combing through his hair, even if the towel method took forever to dry.

Somewhere in the background, the sound of running water stopped.

“Lio, you’re done?” Galo made one large push at his hair, slicking everything back. He turned to face his companion. “So did the clothes—”

The last word just died on the tip of his tongue. Galo felt his jaw drop, which in his own opinion, was a next-level kind of dumb because he was the one who offered, the one who thought it was a good idea.

_(“You can have my clothes,” Galo shrugged, “No big deal.”)_

Galo might have to retract his previous statement.

“It didn’t quite fit,” Lio said, distractedly. He was staring at Galo’s hair, eyes wide. “Uh, but it’s okay. It’s comfortable.”

Comfortable. That was good. That was _really_ good. Oh shit, was that Lio’s collarbone?

“Are you going to keep your hair like that?” Lio sounded somewhat strangled. Galo snapped his mouth shut, feeling a flush from his chest to his ears.

“I don’t like damp hair on my face,” he murmured, distractedly. Galo couldn’t stop staring at Lio’s collarbone. Taking a step forward, Galo reached out only to pause, hand hovering just in front of Lio’s shirt. “May I?”

Lio blinked. Now that they were closer, Galo could see that his cheeks were red as well. “Sure?”

Galo hooked a finger beneath Lio’s shirt collar.

Lio sucked in a breath.

Then, very carefully, Galo pulled the shirt just a bit, so that it covered Lio’s collarbones evenly.

There wasn’t much that could be done about the amount of skin peeking through. Galo’s shirt was way too big for someone like Lio, but at the very least his collarbones were decently covered. Maybe he would pick up a new shirt or two, something to fit Lio, especially if the Ikaros was going to stay.

Galo ducked his head to the side in embarrassment. “You look good.”

Lio looked like he didn’t know what to feel. There was a kind of embarrassment, where his cheeks turned a shade brighter red than before. Something that looked like shyness peeked in the way Lio bit the bottom of his lip, his wings shuffling and curling inwards.

One of his hands reached up to comb through Galo’s hair. His fingers played with the wet strands, messing them up, pulling them from their slicked-back look. His eyes, beneath the embarrassment and the bashfulness, glimmered with fondness.

“Galo,” Lio whispered. “You’re still the kindest man I know.”

The way Lio said that, _reverently_ , made Galo melt into his touch. His fingers felt almost sinful, rubbing his scalp, tugging his hair smoothly. Galo felt himself making a noise he couldn’t quite describe, something between purring and chirping.

Lio let go of his hair with an airy laugh.

"Come to bed," he sauntered and made himself at home, like it was Lio's bed instead of Galo's. Lio patted the space by his side almost coyly. "Come on. I'll show you what should be done."

Lio meant _'why there's no need for bandages'_ and not something else. _Definitely not something else_. Yet Galo felt like all his nerves went from a fire to an inferno, sliding onto the bed like this.

Once Galo was on the bed, Lio spread his wings.

Dark feathers, gleaming in the light. They looked healthier somehow, like the shower had done them justice too. Galo sucked in a breath and ran his fingers over the feathers. For something so powerful— _so addicting_ —they were very pretty. “Is it me, or do you have more feathers?”

Lio turned to face Galo, adjusting himself to lay his injured wing over Galo’s lap. It wasn’t Galo’s imagination—there were more feathers than before, some looking like they have just unfurled from their sheaths, some blooming fresh and beautiful.

“Thank you for your care.” Lio smiled, gentle gratitude brimming in his eyes.

 _Of course_. Galo almost wanted to hit himself for not putting this together. Magical use was an equivalent exchange and while the price isn’t necessarily set in stone, the usual price was energy. Lio had the chance to sleep the night, to eat breakfast and to rest. His feathers were restoring themselves.

“Guess the bandages were absolutely useless,” Galo cracked an amused grin. He traced a finger over a half unfurled feather. It folded open right beneath his touch. “Oh.”

“The bandages _were_ useless,” Lio murmured, placing a hand on top of Galo’s. He slowly guided Galo’s fingers. “But you can still do this for me.”

Feathers between the index finger and the middle. Lio pulled Galo’s hand downwards, a tugging motion, smoothing out some of the ruffled vanes.

“Are you teaching me how to preen you?”

“It’s a similar thing, yes,” Lio’s smile turned into a grin. His eyes lit up, stars and delight. “You used to do this for me all the time, I’ll have you know.”

“Yeah?” Galo felt a rush of eagerness. This was something he used to do! He wanted to do it more—especially if Lio looked so content, tension leaving his shoulders like how the feathers unfurled themselves. Galo threw himself into the process, fingers pulling the feathers in long strokes.

“Yeah,” Lio sighed, content. He stretched his wing, shamelessly putting more on Galo’s lap. “Oh—!”

Galo laughed, tugging Lio on top of him. “This way I can reach your wings better!” he said cheerfully. It wasn’t quite true—he really missed Lio’s warmth, for some reason—but Lio didn’t call him out on it.

Instead, Lio tucked his head on Galo’s shoulder and made a soothing sound, strangely similar to Galo’s earlier, a mix of purring and chirping.

“...What else did I used to do?” Feather between fingers, downward stroke.

“Hmm?” Lio mumbled, sleep in his voice. Galo could relate—between the breakfast, shower and calming moments, he could feel sleep crawling at the corner of his mind as well. “...Oh. You used to snore.”

“I still do that!” Lio laughed softly at Galo’s indignant tone, “...And that’s not what I’m asking, hey—”

Lio pushed Galo down, purple eyes meeting blue. Golden hair fell and framed Lio’s face, a wistful smile on his lips. Slowly, he lowered himself down, laying his head on Galo’s chest. Lio’s ear pressed against Galo’s heartbeat, breath tickling skin.

“...You used to hold me just like this,” Lio’s voice was barely a whisper. Head tucked beneath Galo’s chin, eyes sliding shut. “It was very cold, at night.”

_(“...it’s cold.”_

_“Come here, I’ll keep you warm.”)_

Galo’s breath hitched.

That wasn’t—that was _new_. It was a _memory_. He couldn’t see a thing, nor could he see who it was but Lio’s voice was the same and it hurt, _it hurt_ because he really did know Lio, that they were friends and they had a past together. His hands reached up to hold the Ikaros, to hold him in the way that was new and familiar, the juxtaposition of the situation making tears claw at the back of Galo’s throat.

Lio must have noticed the sudden change, because he suddenly shifted and buried his face into Galo’s chest. He mumbled what sounded like _it’s okay_ ’s and _you’ll be alright’_ s, lips pressing against skin. His wings carefully spread open, stretching just for a second before cradling both of them, dark feathers blotting out the light.

It was comforting to not be able to see.

Galo sucked in a breath, eyes sliding shut. A soft sob against his chest; Galo tightened his hold.

He didn’t remember the moment the darkness shifted into dreams.

☀

_"... It's cold."_

_The shuffling sound of feathers. The wood creaked from the pressure._

_A brilliant smile._

_"Come here, I'll keep you warm!"_

☀

“Galo!”

Galo closed his locker door, turned around and caught the incoming tackle. “Hey, Aina!”

“Have you recovered?” Aina pulled back, only to lean back in. Galo was reminded of Lio and the way he would step into Galo’s space, like he knew he belonged there. Aina too, was someone he didn’t mind doing the same. “There was that attack on my sister’s workplace, and then you called in sick. Galo!”

She was looking at him, eyes filled with worry. It was enough to make guilt shoot through Galo’s chest. He didn't need to call in sick but Galo couldn’t resist spending that time getting to know Lio and even now—while looking down at the way Aina pursed her lips in worry—Galo couldn’t find it in himself to regret the two days of eating, laughing and preening.

“I’m alright,” he said. There wasn’t much he could say, because nobody was supposed to harbour an Ikaros in their home. Galo put on a smile, hoping to reassure her. “I didn’t get hurt, so it’s alright! I just needed to sleep it off a bit.”

“Heris said—” Aina sucked in a stunted breath, “Heris said you ran into the explosion! Why would you do that, you dumbass!” The last part was accentuated with a punch to his arm.

“Hey I’m still here, aren’t I?” Galo rubbed his bicep. Aina was a strong woman. He placed a hand on her shoulder, hoping that would calm her down. “Look, I’m even coming in for work already! I’m fine.”

Galo paused, a sudden thought occurring to him. Dread crept into his veins. “Is Heris...?”

“Heris is alright,” Aina confirmed quickly. She really did know him well.

Galo let out a relieved sigh, feeling the apprehension wash away. He had been sure he left Heris in a safe spot but seeing Aina so panicked had made him doubt everything.

He should have checked. That made him feel rather guilty.

“Galo,” Aina was narrowing her eyes at him. “Heris is absolutely fine, but are you sure you’re alright?” Her voice was thick with concern.

Guilt turned into an overwhelming feeling of gratitude. Galo’s throat tightened. He didn’t deserve Aina, who was so good to him. He reached for her hands, holding them firmly.

“I’m alright, I’m sure,” Galo murmured. “I’m telling the truth, Aina.”

She still eyed him warily, her eyes trailing to the temporary bandages on his scarred arm. His arm sleeve had been destroyed in the explosion yesterday, so the bandages were a temporary measure rather than a real injury. Galo gave her a thumbs up, hoping that worked as a reassurance.

“...then you better pick me up for work tomorrow morning,” Aina finally said. Her stance softened, and she quirked a small smile. “I’ve missed you.”

“I’ll be there with cakes for you and Heris,” Galo promised. He would drop by the bakery on the way home today. Lio could probably appreciate a slice as well. “Your favourite vanilla marble cake. Two slices.”

Aina let out an unladylike snort. “You know me far too well, Thymos,” she raised her voice in a pretend, snobbish tone, “I accept your apology.”

_I am glad you are alright._

Galo laughed, bringing her hand up to his face, kissing her knuckles. “Anything for you, your majesty.”

“Hmph,” Aina was on a roll now, tilting her head upwards, “Will you be joining my sister and me for the movie tonight then, my loyal knight? She would be glad to hear of your epic tale.”

Heris would want to know how he was as well. Galo's heart swelled with affection.

Movie nights were his favourite. To be snuggled by the two sisters, laughing or crying over movies they bought randomly. Dinners were fun and warm. Galo’s photo frames had Aina and Heris, because they were the closest thing he had to a family.

Yet.

In his apartment, staring wistfully out of the balcony window, was Lio. He was all alone, with a vow over his heart and a promise to wait for Galo from his lips.

Galo _couldn’t_.

“I—uh,” what would be the best excuse to turn Aina down? It was unusual; Galo didn’t think he ever missed a movie night before. “I think I’m just gonna rest some more first. Maybe another day?”

He ducked his head and stared at the floor. Galo could feel Aina’s eyes on him—confusion, he bet, coupled with rejection, maybe hurt. Galo wasn’t sure if he could face that.

He jolted when he felt her hand on his arm.

“You don’t have to say yes all the time, you know,” Aina said. Her voice was warm, and she squeezed Galo’s arm reassuringly. “Look, that arranged marriage movie that you bought last month? That can wait. I want you to get well first.”

Oh.

"Aina!" Galo picked her up in the most crushing hug he could manage. He felt her wheeze a little, but that was nothing in comparison to how squeezed his heart felt. "Aina, I—you know I love you like, lots right?"

Affection with Lio was something deep and mysterious, exciting in its familiarity, comforting in its memory.

Affection with Aina was warm and honey-sweet, a home she and Heris had made for him, cutting a Galo-shaped part in their lives.

"Remember," Aina's voice was muffled in his shirt, "You owe us cakes."

Galo chuckled, not letting her go.

☀

_"... It's cold."_

_There was Lio, perched up high among the ceiling beams, scowling down at him. His wings were spread for balance, feathers ruffling. Beneath his feet, the wood creaked from the pressure._

_Galo threw his arms open, smiling wide._

_"Come here, I'll keep you warm!"_

☀

The door behind him closed with a click.

Galo took two steps in, before realizing he should probably call out that he was home. Something giddy danced in his chest, making flips and cartwheels. It was surreal to think that there _was_ someone waiting for him at home.

Yet, the lights were off.

Sunset spilled from the windows over the floor, dusk creeping the edges of _purple-red-orange_. Long shadows hugged the corners of the apartment, making sharp lines dividing spaces. Somewhere in the background, the electric kettle hummed.

"Lio?"

Galo found him, then.

He was perched on the top of the couch, knees to chin, balancing delicately. The lower half of his face was buried in his arms, the dying sun lighting his eyes a shade of _amethyst-ruby_. His wings spread large and wide behind him, _purple-red-orange_ lighting up the iridescence in his feathers.

Then, Lio threw his head back, and _sang_.

A low, deep note, thrumming beneath the veins. Soft warbles melded into the flute-like tone, _chirp-trill_ accents, a voice echoing from deep within the soul. It was a song and a call, the way it repeated upon itself, a pause for a partner, and the regret for an answer that never came.

Galo sucked in a breath.

Lio threw his head back again, song-call tearing from his throat, crying out for its intended—

And the answer spilled from Galo’s mouth like the sunset, a melody locked for far too long, bursting at the seams that made up his heart. A long, low note and _warble-chirp-trills_ , a little louder and more like coo than flute, an incredibly excited chatter at the end.

It slotted itself neatly at the end of Lio’s song, like the pieces of a puzzle that found their place.

Lio’s head snapped at him, eyes widening in surprise. His mouth fell open but before he could say another word, his balance betrayed him.

“Lio!”

Galo threw the cake box he was carrying aside, diving for him. He didn’t make it, and Lio fell right on the sofa with a soft plop.

“Galo?”

Galo looked up from his position on the floor.

Lio peeked at him from the side of the couch, his cheeks flushed. “Did you—” he started, slight laughter in his voice, a tinge of wonder in his tone, “Did you just try to save me from hitting the sofa?”

“Maybe?”

“You’re so silly,” Lio said, warmly. His eyes softened. “...Why did you sing back?”

“Sing?” Galo parroted, before realizing that _yes_ , he did sing back. He must have looked incredibly dumbfounded because Lio just raised an eyebrow and sighed quietly, regretfully.

“Subconscious, probably,” the Ikaros mumbled. Lio slid off the sofa with grace, holding out a hand for Galo.

“Subconscious?” Galo took the hand and allowed Lio to pull him up. “You mean that’s a memory? I sang in the past? Wait, I can sing?” For a hot minute, he was reminded of Remi’s face when Galo sang in the showers at the station. He hadn’t been amused.

“Somewhat,” Lio’s mouth curved into a small smile. “Maybe you can only sing that song.”

“That’s very specific,” Galo scrunched up his face. “Sucks that I can only sing that one song.”

“Oh, but that’s enough. Come here, I’ll show you,” Lio pulled Galo’s hand, pulled the other man closer. They were so close their bodies were almost touching, a realisation that made Galo’s nerves light up like lightning. Lio laughed airily at the look on Galo’s face, placing one hand on Galo’s hip. “Now, listen.”

And then his head was on Galo’s chest—ear to heartbeat, as always. Lio began to move, a step to the right, a step back to the left. The softest swaying of a dance, one that Galo followed just a heartbeat after, letting Lio lead.

Quietly, _gently_ , the song from before spilled from Lio’s mouth in a hum. It wasn't as energy-filled—softer, like the bluest sky after a storm. Galo found himself putting a hand on Lio’s hip, his other hand lacing fingers with Lio’s, his own song coming out of him in a similar hum.

Their melodies matched, like how the dusk matched the dawn, or how the moon matched the sun. It wasn’t the same but similar, two ends of the same thing, meeting in the middle before parting with a promise to return.

“It’s for coming home,” Lio murmured, when the first song ended. “Do you mind if we continue?”

Galo nodded, closing his eyes.

The song began anew, and he let himself be swept away for one more dance.

☀

“Galo, what’s in that box you threw aside when you tried to catch me?”

“Oh shit—”

☀

_Lio leaned on the doorframe, arms crossed._

_He knew this place far too well—enough that it was crystal clear even though this was a dream. The way the dust settled in the corners of the room, the way the wooden beams creaked and the floorboards squeaked. It was an abandoned house, but not an abandoned memory._

_“What are you doing here!? You’re gonna get caught!”_

_There he was, a child, perched up high among the rafters. The scowl on child Lio’s face was comically cute, glaring at someone below._

_And even as a child, Galo was like the sun, offering child Lio a brilliant grin._

_“It’s fine!” Galo said, laughing. “I snuck out of the window because I wanted to see you! Lio, what are you doing up there?”_

_Child Lio pouted. His wings spread open, ruffling indignantly. The ceiling beams creaked at the sudden weight shift. “...it’s cold.”_

_“Oh?” Galo frowned, “That’s not good. I should grab you some blankets next time.”_

_“How are you going to sneak blankets out?” child Lio asked, sceptically._

_“I’ll figure something out!” Galo nodded. His eyes were filled with determination. “But until then, I have a solution!”_

_Child Lio leaned forward, as much as he could. “Oh?”_

_“Yeah!” Galo gave him the widest smile, throwing his arms open. "Come here, I'll keep you warm!"_

_And Lio smiled—fondly with just a little bit of longing—as his child self looked down, took a deep breath, and jumped right into Galo’s arms._

☀

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \+ Yes, Galo and Lio are both dumbasses and pining for each other really hard and not gonna lie, this was absolutely hilarious to write.
> 
> \+ Is Lio messing/flirting with Galo to some degree? Probably, yes. Is he getting messed up with Galo’s presence? Oooh, definitely. 
> 
> \+ **‘Once Galo was on the bed, Lio spread his wings.’**  
>  I’m obliged to say that this sentence made me cackle when I wrote it but I refuse to take it out so we can all be confused horny just like Galo.
> 
> \+ Have I said how much I love Aina and Galo’s relationship? I love them as best friends so much!!! <3
> 
> \+ Easter eggs for this fic (Please heed their respective tags!) : 
> 
> ‘Galo’s photo frames had Aina and Heris, because they were the closest thing he had to family.’
>     If you’re interested in a real Thymos family though, here’s [Loup’s amazing family fic!](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/PBB2020/works/24456952)
> “Look, that arranged marriage movie that you bought last month? That can wait. I want you to get well first.”
>     Galo closed his eyes and picked up Big Boss' fic as a movie from the nearby store. XD [Note : As of my own posting, they're work aren't up yet. I'll link it here when it is!]


	6. | Bonus | Playlist and Gallery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here is a bonus chapter where I'll be updating a list of songs I've found related/inspiring for this fic, and a whole bunch of extra artwork done for this fic that's either not continued or changed ideas. Have fun! 💕
> 
> (It will be updated; I'm withholding certain information/illustration for spoiler's sake)

### Playlist

** Eng **

  * [Runnin' (Lose It All) - Naughty Boy ft. Beyoncé, Arrow Benjamin](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJSik6ejkr0)



** JP **

  * [Ran - Asuka](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xn_RnkDP614) [(Lyrics)](https://www.animelyrics.com/anime/nobufool/ran.htm)
  * [Eden - TËЯRA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEVJGzjuKDQ) [(Lyrics)](https://remywiki.com/EDEN) [Lio's POV]
  * [DoLL - TËЯRA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pe9ylxzif8E) [(Lyrics)](https://remywiki.com/DoLL) [Lio's POV]



### Gallery

####  [Roadccan](https://twitter.com/roadccan)

  
Trying to figure out how Lio's clothes work in this AU

  
Scrapped WIP for Chapter 2

  
Scrapped Scene for Chapter 2

####  [Raggabrash](https://twitter.com/RaggabrashTM)

  
[Fanart? Fanart! Thank you so much!!! <3](https://twitter.com/RaggabrashTM/status/1278630126125756416?s=19)

####  [Piecesofarose](https://twitter.com/Piecesofarose)

  
MORE FANART I'M LOSING IT [ [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Piecesofarose/status/1322715308642238464/photo/1) | [IG](https://www.instagram.com/p/CG-687Cg3ep/?igshid=f8ulvqs72pwm) ]


End file.
